Fish Curry & Lemon Fool

Main: Fish Curry
Women’s Weekly July 2020 issue

Dessert: Lemon Fool
The Diabetes Comfort Food Cookbook

Hi Everyone!

This week we have ticked all the boxes for a fast, healthy and tasty, post busy workday, meal.

Women’s Weekly has done it again with this beautiful light curry. Most who sit at my table on a regular basis don’t take too kindly to super hot and spicy foods. I personally love a light curry and I’m always looking for ways to sneak more veg and more fish into out diets. This is it! The base is a yellow curry and I’m sure you have your favourite brand – mine is AYAM. I’ve made my own curry bases from scratch before and can honestly say that all the AYAM products are better than anything I could make myself. Who has time after work anyway. I used one long red chilli rather than two but that is, of course, your personal preference. The recipe called for emperor fillets, however, when I went to the fishmonger they didn’t have any. I just described what I was cooking and left it to them to give me the next best thing. None of us were disappointed. The overall flavour was scrumptious and it only took 25-30 minutes from start of cooking to serving. The yellow and green colours of this curry are visually very appealing which adds to the anticipation of the taste. I served it with basmati rice but for an even healthier version brown rice would be the go. Now, whilst this meal received a 10/10 there is just one thing I would do differently. The little eggplants. I was unable to get apple eggplant so bought the small finger eggplants. They were lovely for sure but next time I will give them a minute in the microwave after cutting them up. This will soften the skin and take any bitterness out of the cooking process. My non fish loving son was very impressed. This is a “must try”.

The name of the dessert sort of says it all. The MAV is a diabetic with an outrageous sweet tooth. So there I am pouring over the Diabetes Comfort Food Cookbook. Bingo! lemon fool looks good I say. This is a very old fashioned dessert and I remember my mum making it when I was a kid but it would not have been this health conscious version.

So cream is minimal and replaced in the large part with natural yoghurt and there’s loads of lovely berries, lemon and mint. What could be better. So, there we were tucking into this fresh and tangy dessert. The MAV is enjoying it UNTIL…….. I stupidly open my mouth and say it is from the Diabetes cookbook. Big mistake because instantly he told me it was not sweet enough. Everyone at the table just looked at him in amazement but there is no pulling the wool over his eyes that’s for sure. I loved this dessert and it is so easy that it is embarrassing. The base mixture can be done well in advance, even the night before and then just arrange the fruit and lemon fool when it is time to serve. The overall score here was 8/10.

We will definitely be having the curry at least again and again. I do hope you give it a go.

Until next week.

From my table to yours with love. x

Fish Curry

2 tbsp peanut oil
⅓ c thai yellow curry paste
1 tbps fish sauce
4 fresh kaffir lime leaves (torn)
2 fresh long red chillies (sliced thinly diagonally)
400 ml can coconut cream
2 tbsp unrefined sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
5 medium apple eggplant (halved)
500 g red emperor fillets (pin-boned, cut into thirds)
300 g baby pak choy (trimmed, halved)
thai basil and lime wedges to serve

Heat oil in a wok or medium heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add curry paste; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
Add fish sauce, lime leaves and chilli; cook, stirring for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add coconut cream; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low.
Stir in sugar, lime juice and eggplant. Bring to the boil. Add fish; simmer for 3 minutes or until fish is cooked. Add pak choy; stir until just wilted.
Top curry with basil; serve with lime wedges.

Lemon Fool

½ c cold water
2 tbsp cornstarch
⅔ c sugar
⅓ c fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
2 large egg yolks
1 c low-fat plain yoghurt
½ c heavy cream
4 c fresh berries such as sliced strawberries, raspberries or blueberries
additional berries, fresh mint sprigs and grated lemon zest for garnish

In a small saucepan, whisk together water and cornstarch until smooth. Add sugar, lemon juice, zest and egg yolks; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil. Boil for 15 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and pour lemon mixture into a large bowl. Let cool slightly. cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until chilled.
When chilled, whisk lemon mixture until smooth. Whisk in yogurt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into lemon-yogurt mixture.
Arrange half of the berries in 6 parfait glasses or large wine glasses. Top with half of the lemon fool, then layer with remaining berries and lemon fool. To serve, garnish with whole berries, mint sprigs, and grated lemon zest.